How to Play Parcheesi

Parcheesi is a game many people recognize, but few have played. Parcheesi utilizes a crossed board with 68 squares, including 16 that have special marks. Four groups of four differently colored pieces are used. Each player chooses a color and moves his pieces by rolling dice. The winner is the player who gets all his pieces in his respective final square. Parcheesi's not as easy as you think.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Place four groups of pieces, or pawns, on their respective color circles at each corner of the board. The first player rolls the dice. When the dice has a five, or the two die combine to make five, the player can move one of his pawns out of his circle.

2. Move pawns in a counterclockwise direction. You can only move your pawns on the purple and light blue squares in this game.

3. Roll again if you roll a double. However, rolling doubles a third time forfeits the turn and the pawn furthest along the board must be moved back to the starting circle. Rolling a double when all the player's pawns are out of the starting circle is a "double bonus" and allows the player to move by both the tops and bottoms of the dice.

4. Count each die separately. For instance, if a 2 and a 3 are rolled, the player can move one pawn two spaces and another pawn three spaces. If the same pawn is moved, it is not a total of five spaces moved, but two and then three; if another player's pawns are on a square two or three spaces ahead, the player cannot move.

5. "Bop" the other player if you land on a square occupied by another player by exact count; the other player then must start again. It also allows you to move your pawn other 20 squares.

6. Complete a circuit around the board in order to enter your pawn into the corresponding color home row. You can only reach the center square by an exact count. You then earn ten extra points that another pawn can use.

7. Get all four pawns into their corresponding color finishing squares to win the game.

Tips & Warnings

• Each square in the main ring and in the home rows can only have none, one or two pawns on it. The two pawns must be of the same color.
• Purple squares are safety squares. A safety square cannot be occupied by two opposing pawns. One pawn on a safety square does not create a blockade, so other colors can pass by it.
• Two same-colored pawns on a space form a blockade, or barrier. A blockade cannot be passed by any other pawn , even one of the same color. A blockade cannot be moved together. (This rule only affects doubles.) A blockade must open when the player rolls a six.

[poodlesnoodles]

on 8/26/2008 I picked up an old Parcheesi game at the Goodwill store for 75 cents & was going to use the board as a wall decoration until I suggested to my husband that we play a game or two. We have had to refer to the instructions on the inside of the box cover frequently. This "Ehow to" has given a few instructions that aren't listed on the box cover that we will find very helpful. We try to play several games every evening. My husband is a very, very good game & backgammon player & frequently beats the heck out of me!